For The Love Of Port

URL: http://www.decanter.com/news/73069.html

Mourinho to front cork campaign
January 11, 2006
Ciara Earles

Outspoken football manager José Mourinho is fronting a Portuguese government campaign on behalf of its national cork association.

The controversial Portuguese coach, who manages UK football club Chelsea, was chosen by the National Cork Society (Apcor) because he is 'sophisticated and appeals to the wine consumer.'

The production of cork as a bottle-stopper for the wine industry is big business in Portugal, which produces around half of the world's corks. However the sector has been dented by the increasing popularity of different types of closure among producers.

The news of Mourinho's sponsorship and the government push comes only a few days after the creation of the International Screwcap Initiative aimed at increasing producer-awareness of the alternative closure

'He was chosen because he's Portuguese, he's sophisticated and he appeals to the wine consumer,' said a spokeswoman for Apcor.

Mourinho will appear on the campaign in March 2006. A man who reportedly hates to have his picture taken, all images used by Apcor were taken by the manager's personal photographer.

It is not yet known in what context the football manager will appear in the advertisements.

'Let's Talk Real cork'

Mourinho to front UK Cork Campaign

London, UK (2 March 2006): The Portuguese Cork Association (APCOR) proudly announces the start of its Campaign for Cork in the UK this month with the signing of José Mourinho, manager of the Chelsea Football Club.

A native of Portugal, Mourinho was a natural choice to be the face of the campaign. "I accepted APCOR´s invitation to promote the cork industry in the UK because cork is a Portuguese product. It's a product that has elevated Portugal into becoming a worldwide leader in this sector and therefore must be promoted by all Portuguese," said José Mourinho.

"He is well respected in Portugal and highly recognizable throughout Europe for his formidable presence on and off the field. We know he can bring the same attention and focus to our efforts in the cork industry," adds Elisa Pedro, Communications Director of APCOR.

The Cork Campaign is designed to target two key audiences: the wine consumer and the wine trade industry. The consumer approach will be to increase awareness and stir up and stimulate a fair and balanced discussion amongst consumers on the wine closures debate. Trade activities will include efforts to communicate the achievements of the cork industry to deliver the finest quality cork closures and to partner with wine industry leaders to reinforce the association between real cork and the best wines.

Through various activities utilising consumer and trade press as well as outdoor and online promotions, the six month campaign will promote positive aspects of cork and reinforce the association between real cork and the best quality wines. "With recent progress in cork research and new product development, we find we are now in a position to take a pro-active approach," said Hugh Taylor, Managing Director of Grasshopper, the agency behind the campaign.

Founded in 1956, APCOR promotes the development of the Portuguese cork industry, manages the quality of Portugal's cork production and champions the benefits of natural cork. Since Portugal is the world's largest producer of cork, APCOR strives to help create solutions that may limit the cork industry from producing quality cork stoppers. APCOR is also commited to the environmental issues and works tirelessly through research and development to ensure future generations can enjoy the benefits of natural cork.

The Right to Choose:

The Cork Campaign Looks to Retailers and Off-Licensees for Support

London, UK (April 2006): Wine consumers have a vast selection of wines to choose from when purchasing their wine. Why not give them the right to choose their type of closure as well? This April, the Portuguese Cork Association (APCOR) is looking for off licensees and wine retailers to join the campaign for cork to give customers the right to exercise their preference for real cork.

One of the key elements of the Campaign for Cork, kits will be distributed to 500 retailers and off-licensees throughout the UK. As the face of the campaign, José Mourinho will be endorsing these kits that include materials such as neck collars (to be placed on wines with real cork), window stickers, posters and leaflets for retailers to display their support for cork. By labelling all wines with real cork with neck collars, APCOR is giving consumers the power to choose their wine closure.

"Research has shown that three out of four UK consumers prefer natural cork over other stoppers. Consumers attribute status to closures and are disappointed to find an artificial stopper when they open a bottle of wine," said Elisa Pedro, Communications Director for APCOR. She adds, " Wine consumers clearly want to know the type of closure. Wine drinkers want information readily available on the type of stoppers in their wine when purchasing it, so they can make an informed choice."

Through various activities utilising consumer and trade press as well as outdoor and online promotions, the Cork Campaign kicked off in March to promote positive aspects of real cork and reinforce the association between real cork and the best quality wines.

Founded in 1956, APCOR promotes the development of the Portuguese cork industry. APCOR is also commited to the environmental issues and works tirelessly through research and development to ensure future generations can enjoy the benefits of natural cork.

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For further information contact: Hugh Taylor 020 7349 3030 or hugh@grasshopper.uk.com

For visual references of the campaign please visit the press section of http://www.realcork.org